The beauty and wellness industry continues to grow each day with new participants that strive to make their clients feel beautiful and relaxed. Brewer High School offers a cosmetology program to students who see themselves pursuing that career path. As the world evolves, so does the demand for high-end services and people in the cosmetics industry have to be prepared for everything.
The program is facilitated by Jennifer Mathews who currently teaches the capstone section of the program. Nychole Thompson is a teacher who trains students in the art and science of cosmetology and mentors students, helping them develop the skills needed in the beauty industry. They work together to ensure the students get the proper education to become a successful cosmetologist.
“The school district reached out to me and asked me to create a program for them,” Mathews said.
Mathews had a vision for Brewer’s cosmetology program, and she was determined to make that vision a reality. Thompson felt honored to help Mathews create something meaningful for students, something that allows them to follow their dreams and reach their full potential in the cosmetology industry. Together, they created what is now known as the Beehive Salon and Spa.
“Brewer High School was starting the cosmetology program, and I was honored to join Mathews and work alongside her to help create the thriving program that she envisioned,” Thompson said.
This is a program that offers an entry-level position into the beauty industry in addition to the four years of hands-on learning. Upon completing this program, students will take a written and practical exam to obtain their Cosmetology License.
“I enjoy teaching different grade levels. This allows me to watch students grow in their knowledge and their confidence,” Thompson said.
Working with a large group of students each coming from different backgrounds can be difficult, but taking the time to truly understand and relate to them makes teaching them easier. The beauty industry requires a lot of focus to ensure the client has a safe and happy service.
“ I believe that the relationships with my students have a powerful effect on their learning. The teacher’s positivity helps students feel motivated, to trust the teacher and feel comfortable in class. It improves classroom behavior and morale and all around boosts students academic achievement and emotional wellbeing,” Thompson said.
The cosmetology program is a very challenging yet rewarding pathway that all students can choose to go on. This not only requires hard work and dedication, but also a positive and creative mindset. This is something that offers students a great career in life, whether they choose to make that a long-term thing or not. The Beehive Salon and Spa has prepared them for all that the beauty industry comes with.
Since this is a four year program, students would have to start their freshman year in order to complete the mandatory 1,000 hours needed to take the exams
“Each grade level possesses their own unique characteristics, for example, freshmen need more nurturing than a junior and seniors need more focus than a sophomore,” Mathews said.
Coming into the program as a freshman, you learn the basics from the textbook. You learn the fundamentals of cosmetology and how to treat your client. Sophomore year is getting hands-on experience, putting everything you learned into action. Junior year is all about hands-on work and getting that experience with real-life clients. Senior year is the time for studying. Seniors know that the licensing exam given by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation is coming up, so preparing for the exam is essential.
